Page 6 of Love Me Again

So she did the most embarrassing thing—far more embarrassing than even hitting Boone because she thought he’d been with that pregnant woman—couldn’t seem to stop herself.

She broke down sobbing.

CHAPTER 3

Boone couldn’t get a grip on anything, but Josie crying was… It cut him clear in two. Like he was back in that hospital room, listening to her cry all over him while the doctor gave him bad news after bad news.

Oh, she’d been strong too. Been so positive. We’ll get through this. Whatever it takes. I’ll be by your side every step of the way.

He’d hated it. Because he’d known too well that she’d spent near all her life taking care of her father. She deserved to live a life not saddled to someone with chronic health issues.

“Jo…” Boone took a step toward them, unable to stop himself.

Mom held up a hand, shook her head. In her easy way, she moved her arm around Josie while keeping her in a kind of embrace. She murmured soft words to the crying woman as she led her up to the house.

Boone stood where he was, wet and cold and lost, and watched them go. Watched his mother do what she did best. Take care.

It hit him then. Fully. What Josie had said right after she’d all but beaten him up.

My father’s estate.

“No.” He said that out loud, but Mom had taken Josie inside so neither of them heard him. Which was good.

He had to deal with that reeling horror. Surely…no. No.

Paul Symington had been a good man. A… A great man, and a kind man, and he’d been in remission when Boone had left. All positive signs that he’d kicked cancer’s ass and everything was going to stay that way.

He couldn’t be…dead. Maybe he’d just left Josie his estate to…to…to…

But everything made a terrible kind of sense if he slotted in the understanding that Paul Symington had died.

Why her lawyer had stopped pushing things.

Why them still being married came as a surprise to her.

She’d been busy dealing with…

He couldn’t fully grasp all she must have dealt with. Because he’d left.

He’d left to save her. He really had. Even now he believed that, deep in his bones. It had been a sacrifice of what he wanted for what she needed. For her.

But if Paul was gone…

Dear God, what had he left her to endure on her own?

Josie wasn’t sure how it happened, but somehow she was in a cozy living room, wearing someone else’s dry clothes while an elderly woman shuffled in with a mug of hot chocolate and a plate of cookies.

Hallucinating. She had to be. Finally that psychotic break she’d been staving off by sheer force of will had caught up with her.

Deb swept into the room with a colorful quilt and wrapped it around Josie’s shoulders while Josie just stared.

“Warming up?”

Josie wasn’t at all sure what she was, but she nodded.

Another woman bustled in, looking a lot like a younger version of Deb. Dark hair and eyes and just a sturdy way about her.

“Here’s the socks,” she announced. She smiled at Josie and something about that smile reminded her of Boone.